I know what is good.

I’m Back

June 12, 2012

For a vacation that wasn’t about food, there was a whole lot of eating. And given that this was a vacation about seeing people, there were a whole lot of people I didn’t see. There were even more people who I didn’t even call.

I’m left with one of two choices:

1) Vacations are hard
2) I’m a really bad person

Probably the reality of the situation is that it’s a little bit of each. You can never do all the things you would like, regardless of how long you have. For example, I lived in California for over 12 years, and the things that I never did could fill a book.

What I’m kind of amazed about is not only was I able to maintain my regular posting schedule, but I was also able to submit an Eat This for All Over Albany before I left, and a food review for the Chefs Consortium while on my travels. That’s crazy. Still I didn’t finish the Gin book, although I’ve made some progress, and I’m really enjoying it. I wish I could say the same about the USDA report I wanted to read. That thing is painful on many levels.

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably got some idea of all the places that I ate while on the journey. If not, I’m not going to bore you with a travelogue of every blow by blow, but what follows are some of the highlights.

Multiple visits to Blue Bottle Coffee for espresso based drinks
Returned to Peet’s for their traditional cappuccino
Ethiopian food
Ordered 11 banh mi sandwiches
Tour of six East Oakland taquerias/trucks
San Carlos farmers market empanadas with dry aged happy beef
Temescal Farmers Market Pizza with nettles and bacon
Acme Bread
A great macchiatto from a random espresso cart
Casa Latina carnitas torta
Cocktails at Rickhouse
Szechuan food from an old favorite Chinatown spot
Two Vietnamese lunches in one day
Dim Sum with 5 high chairs
New Jersey cuisine from Scolari’s
Steak frites a la Raf
Amazing leg of lamb & Bandol dinner
Tacos and tequila rickeys with Doc and the gang
Organic farmers market strawberries
Pernod with water and a magazine at Cafe de la Presse
Vanilla buttercream from Cupkates
Deep fried soft-shell crab slider (from some food truck at Off the Grid)
Freshly pressed Vietnamese sugar cane “juice”
Chocolate lavender macaron from Miette Patisserie
French toast that was more like bread pudding
Poached backyard eggs
Great cheeses and sausages
Hand pulled noodles

I’m sure there are more things that I’m leaving out. Let’s do this. If you are curious about any of these, or would like me to expand on a topic further. Ask a question, and I’ll be happy to answer it.

This all sounds astonishingly good! Since we’re heading to the San Francisco area for the first time in early July, I’ll bite: Where did you go for Ethiopian food, and would you recommend it? Which banh mi was the best? Favorite Szechuan? Favorite dim sum? Anything else that’s not to be missed? I think we will be staying in Palo Alto and Berkeley, but will have a car and will drive for food.
Thanks, and welcome back!